


Connor Can't Ride a Bike

by Temmy_Silver



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor Deserves Happiness, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Hank Anderson & Connor Friendship, Poor Connor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22925404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Temmy_Silver/pseuds/Temmy_Silver
Summary: Hank finds out that Connor can't ride a bike, so he tries to teach him. Emphasis on "tries."
Relationships: Hank Anderson & Connor, Markus/North (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 97





	Connor Can't Ride a Bike

**Author's Note:**

> I got this headcannon at random and decided to write about it. Happy reading!

“What do you mean you don’t know how to ride a bike?” exclaimed Hank, brow furrowed and arms spread out wide.

“My programmers knew I’d be working in a crowded city,” reasoned Connor. “They optimized my speed and agility in order to catch a running suspect; I don’t believe they thought I would need a bicycle to apprehend someone.”

“Need, schmeed,” Hank said as the two of them approached the Lieutenant’s house. “People learn to ride bikes for _fun_ , Connor. It’s a right of passage.”

Connor tilted his head. “A right of passage for what, Hank?”

“I don’t know, going from a toddler to a kid.” Connor decided to refrain from pointing out human ages and android ages had no relevancy to each other. Hank clapped a calloused hand on Connor’s shoulder as they reached the walkway. “Look, this is gonna eat at me, alright? You gotta have more simple pleasures in your life. We’ll take a trip, yeah? Go to some dirt road this weekend and rent a couple of bikes, my treat.”

Connor didn’t have any particular desire to learn how to ride a bicycle, but he and the Lieutenant had an unspoken agreement that Hank would ease up on his unhealthier habits if Connor participated in human activities. So the android smiled and said, “I’d be delighted, Hank.”

Hank patted Connor’s shoulder, grinning back. “Good. I’ll pick you up on Saturday, don’t forget.”

“I’ll add it to my mental calendar,” Connor said. He meant that literally.

The pair said their goodbyes and Connor began the trek to his apartment, looking forward to the excursion.

*****

Sunway Biking Trails came into view at 2:35 p.m. that Saturday. Even three years after becoming deviant, Conor wasn’t a fan of overly-casual clothing, and he fidgeted in his athletic t-shirt and shorts. He and the Lieutenant, who wore similar garb, headed to the cozy rent-a-bike station and brought their new bicycles to the start of the trail.

“So, uh, the first thing you want to do, um-” Hank said, unsure about how to instruct a three-and-a-half-year-old android who looked like a full-grown man to ride a bike, but Connor wasn’t listening. He was looking at a family of bikers coming in for the day, analyzing their movements as they pedaled and dismounted.

_SCAN COMPLETE-Ready to implement_

“Hank, if you show me how to get started, I’ll be able to follow you easily.”

“Oh. Uh, alright then,” said Hank. Connor watched as the Lieutenant swung one leg over his bicycle, using his other foot as a stand until the pedals came to a point where he could get momentum going, and he was off.

_SCAN COMPLETE-Ready to implement_

As Hank pedaled away, Connor moved to straddle his own bicycle. He pushed off, rolled a few feet-

-and fell to his side with a rather impressive _crash_.

Hank circled back and got off his bike to help his partner up. “Kid, what happened?”

“I-I’m not sure,” Connor said, dismissing a flashing _ERROR_ message from his vision. “I’m certain I was doing what you were.”

“Well… maybe you just need some help at the start, let you get the hang of it. Here,” Hank said, setting Connor’s bike back up, “I’ll help ya.”

Connor dutifully remounted his bike, pushing off and pedaling as he had before, this time with Hank steadying him. The two of them picked up speed, Connor retaining balance, and Hank let go.

The android pedaled steadily for another five feet before the same _ERROR_ message popped up and he toppled over.

He grunted in frustration and got up on his own to show Hank he was OK, but as he looked back, he saw that the Lieutenant was not worried. Hank was biting his lip and trying hard to hold in a bout of laughter.

Connor would have blushed if he had the ability. “I don’t know what’s wrong. I’m getting an error message, but it doesn’t elaborate on what the problem is.”

Hank stopped trying to feign a neutral expression, nearly doubling over in his laughter. Connor shifted and cast his eyes down. “It’s just a small malfunction…” he mumbled.

The Lieutenant took a moment to compose himself. “I’m sorry, it’s not funny,” he said, suppressing his chuckles. “If you’ve got some _bike glitch_ , you’ll just have to learn the old fashioned way. Hang on a second.”

Hank jogged back over to the rent-a-bike shack and Connor lifted his bicycle off the ground, indignant. The Lieutenant came back with a deep blue helmet.

“Here,” he said, holding it out to Connor, “put this on.”

“My structure is quite resistant to-”

“Just humor me, would ya?” Hank said. Frankly, Connor thought the whole ordeal had already humored Hank enough, but he took the helmet anyway and strapped it to his head.

The two of them spent the better part of the next couple hours slowly making their way through the easiest path of the Sunway Biking Trails. Throughout most of it, Hank had to steady Connor, acting as a human training wheel while trying to teach the state-of-the-art android proper balance, steering, and pedaling. The farthest Connor got on his own was 32 feet, and that was only because the stretch was downhill, after which he subsequently crashed into a tree. Connor grew more and more silently frustrated with himself, and the blazing _ERROR_ sign that persisted in the corner of his vision did nothing to help. When the finish point finally came into view, Connor sighed in relief and dismounted his bike early.

At this point, Hank’s amusement had turned to pity. “Don’t feel too bad about it, kid, it was your first time. People can take years to learn-”

Another biker flew by the pair in a flash. _[Hey, Connor!]_ came a transmission into the android detective’s mind.

“Markus?” he said aloud.

“What?” asked Hank, but Connor was already running ahead to the main area connecting the start and stop points. He got there just in time to see the deviant leader hand his bike back to one of the rent-a-bike employees. Markus turned and smiled as he approached.

“Afternoon, Connor,” Markus said, meeting the other android halfway. “I wasn’t expecting to find you here, though it’s good to see you.”

“Likewise,” Connor said. Hank caught up to the two of them, out of breath.

“Good afternoon, Lieutenant Anderson,” said Markus.

Hank raised one hand and dropped it as a sort of wave. " _Huff_. Hey. _Huff_." He straightened up. “What’s a busy guy like you doing at Sunway?”

“North and I have mandatory date time once a week. She’s been talking about how she wanted to learn biking, so I brought her here,” Markus explained. “Can you believe the things some androids aren’t programmed with?”

“She doesn’t know either?” Connor asked. A strange feeling of hope bloomed inside him; maybe he and North could practice together!

“Well, _didn’t_. She was such a natural when she got on, eventually she split up from me to take a harder trail,” Markus said. His eyes flicked away from them. “Speak of the devil.”

Connor and Hank turned to see North riding towards them, perfectly balanced and hands stuffed casually into her hoodie pockets.

She dismounted in one fluid motion when she got near them, moving to stand beside Markus and giving him a peck on the cheek. “Hey, hon. ‘Sup, Connor? Cool helmet.”

In all his deviancy, Connor had hardly ever felt embarrassment. Now for the second time in as many hours, the heat of a non-blush rose to his face.

Hank seemed like he was going to make another attempt at comforting Connor when he was once again cut off by someone else.

“Stop! Let _go!_ Help!”

Three androids and one human looked to see a man wrestling with a woman over her bag. He managed to tear it away and started to run.

The process was automatic. _PRECONSTRUCTING… Complete_

Within seconds, Connor unclipped the helmet from his head and threw it at the man’s. It connected with a satisfying _bonk_ , and though it didn’t do any noticeable damage, it slowed the man down and provided enough of a distraction for Connor to race over. He tripped up the man’s leg and caught one of his arms, pinning it behind his back as he fell to his knees.

“ _Ow!_ Ease up, c’mon man!”

Connor slipped the bag from the man’s grasp and held it out to the woman. “Ma’am.”

She blinked at him. “Thank you,” she said, walking over and taking it.

“Show off!” North called, teasing. Markus gave a low whistle and Hank had on a proud half-smile. Connor returned the grin.

After the local police had come to collect the suspect and Markus and North had said their goodbyes, Hank and Connor started the drive back home. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Connor pulled his calibration coin from his shorts pocket. Deftly, he flicked it into the air, caught it, and shot it into his other hand.

“Maybe I’ll pick up juggling tricks. Or knife throwing,” Connor said. “Something with hand-eye coordination.”

Hank chuckled. “Whatever you’d like, kid. Sounds swell.”

**Author's Note:**

> I may return to this fandom with a longer, angstier fic, but for now I'll be returning to Good Omens (a silly one-shot of which will be posted tomorrow). I hope you enjoyed!


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